After the interview
Does this sound like something you’ve done?
You finish an interview on Zoom, close your laptop, and immediately start replaying every answer you gave.
Did I talk too much? Was that example strong enough? Why did they ask me three follow-up questions about fundraising?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Zoom, we’re having a conversation too. But it isn’t about what you think it’s about.
Here’s the truth: by the time you get to a Zoom interview, we usually already think you can do the job.
Before we launch a search at NRG, we build a rubric with the client. We agree on the skills, experiences, and qualities we need to see in the person they hire.
And the initial phone screening is largely about checking those boxes to make sure you’re the right candidate.
The Zoom interview is where we go deeper. And sometimes, deeper can feel scary. But, I promise you, 9 times out of 10, it isn’t.
We are going to push deeper into your experience.
Let’s say fundraising is important for the job.
We already know you have fundraising experience. Now I want to hear about a gift you actually closed. What was your role? What deliverables did you own versus your director report or your supervisors? Where did it get hard? What would you do differently next time?
If I ask you four follow-up questions, it does not necessarily mean your first answer was bad! I’m trying to understand how deep your experience goes.
And sometimes we’re intentionally pushing on something we think might be a weakness. If the organization needs someone who moves really quickly, and we know you’ve only worked at slower moving organizations, we might explore that a bit more to see how you can adapt your skills to succeed in a new environment.
Yes, we are paying attention to the vibe...even if it isn’t the deciding factor, it does contribute.
How are you showing up? Can you think on your feet? Do you listen? What happens when somebody pushes back? Did you actually answer the question we asked?
And: what is it going to be like to work with you?
That doesn’t mean hiring managers should pick whoever they “click” with. We actually really want our hiring managers to stick to the questions we’ve agreed on. It helps us uncover what we need to know and creates a more equitable process for everyone interviewing.
But how you communicate and respond in the moment still tells us something.
So what do we talk about when you leave?
The good news? We aren’t going over every mistake you made, every pause, backtracked answer, or time you didn’t have the perfect solution to a hypothetical.
What we’re discussing is simple: What stood out? What are we still unsure about? Did they go deep enough? Do we understand why they want this job? What would we need to learn about them in the next round?
We’re debating not if you’re a person who can do the job, but if we think you’re the best fit for what the organization needs right now.
Remember: if you made it to the Zoom, we already saw something we liked. If you came prepared to go deeper about your experience, can give examples, listen, know how to pivot in a conversation, and let us see how you think, you did great.
And if we push you a little? That might be exactly the point.
Oh! And one more thing: the interview doesn’t end when the Zoom does.
Send the follow-up note. Send it quickly (within 24 hours). Make it thoughtful. And if we pushed you particularly hard on something, use that note to reinforce what you want us to remember.
Happy job searching!
Managing Director (Anonymous Risk Advisory Firm) | Remote | $175,000-$200,000
VP Programs, Climate & Biodiversity (Friends of the Earth) | Remote | $165,000-$200,000
Director of Development and Communications (Coalition for Asian American Children and Families - CACF) | New York City, NY | $140,000-$150,000
Executive Advisor, Strategic Partnerships (Friends of the Earth) | Remote | $140,000-$150,000
Chief Of Staff (Only One) | Remote | $140,00-$170,000
Communications Director (We Build Progress) |Remote | $150,200-$160,000That's not all!
We're hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of them on the NRG website.
Ask The Coach
Feeling stuck in your job search? Not sure where to start, or what to do next?
Join us for a Q&A session with our career coach, Kristin Saybe. This is for all levels, so whether you’re looking to break into the c-suite, or if you’re finding your first job out of college, this is for you!
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Let’s move,
Naomi
P.S. If you’d like a partner to help you with your job search strategy, learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.